Difference between revisions of "Data Security"
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| − | + | '''Is my data secure?''' | |
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| − | Is my data secure? | ||
We wipe each drive 3 times, or physically damage the drive and separate the components. This process is derived from Department of Defense (DOD 5220.22M) standards. | We wipe each drive 3 times, or physically damage the drive and separate the components. This process is derived from Department of Defense (DOD 5220.22M) standards. | ||
| − | How do you wipe the drive? How do you destroy the data? | + | '''How do you wipe the drive? / How do you destroy the data?''' |
We overwrite the drive 3 times. The first time we write 1's to every sector, the second time we write 0's to every sector and the third time | We overwrite the drive 3 times. The first time we write 1's to every sector, the second time we write 0's to every sector and the third time | ||
we write random data to every sector. We also verify that the data was overwritten during the final step. | we write random data to every sector. We also verify that the data was overwritten during the final step. | ||
| − | How long does this process take? | + | '''How long does this process take? / Can I wait/watch for my drive to be wiped?''' |
| − | Wiping a drive is a lengthy process that takes several hours. Although you cannot wait while your drive is being wiped, you | + | Wiping a drive is a lengthy process that takes several hours. Although you cannot wait or watch while your drive is being wiped, you may request to watch your drive being put into the wiper and/or being locked up. If you would like to do this, please arrive with your drive in hand and we will connect you with a staff person who will escort you and your drive to our wiper and/or lock-up area. |
[If someone still seems uncomfortable leaving their drive with us, do NOT encourage them to leave it. Instead offer the following advice.] | [If someone still seems uncomfortable leaving their drive with us, do NOT encourage them to leave it. Instead offer the following advice.] | ||
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Ultimately, data security is your responsibility. You are welcome to remove the drive yourself, destroy it, and bring it back to us to be responsibly recycled. You may also borrow a disk from us to overwrite your drive at home before donating it to us. We just as you bring the disk back when you return to donate. A third option is to find an outside party to wipe your drive for you. | Ultimately, data security is your responsibility. You are welcome to remove the drive yourself, destroy it, and bring it back to us to be responsibly recycled. You may also borrow a disk from us to overwrite your drive at home before donating it to us. We just as you bring the disk back when you return to donate. A third option is to find an outside party to wipe your drive for you. | ||
| − | We cannot make suggestions about outside parties, but we can offer some questions that a reputable provider should be happy to answer: | + | '''We cannot make suggestions about outside parties, but we can offer some questions that a reputable provider should be happy to answer: |
# Do you have a drive shredder? | # Do you have a drive shredder? | ||
# If not, what is your specific procedure for making my data unreadable? | # If not, what is your specific procedure for making my data unreadable? | ||
# Will my drive be locked up until it is wiped? | # Will my drive be locked up until it is wiped? | ||
| − | # May I see my drive being locked up? | + | # May I see my drive being locked up?''' |
'''The most important aspect of data security is making sure the customer is COMFORTABLE leaving their drive with us.''' | '''The most important aspect of data security is making sure the customer is COMFORTABLE leaving their drive with us.''' | ||
Revision as of 12:54, 19 May 2009
Is my data secure?
We wipe each drive 3 times, or physically damage the drive and separate the components. This process is derived from Department of Defense (DOD 5220.22M) standards.
How do you wipe the drive? / How do you destroy the data?
We overwrite the drive 3 times. The first time we write 1's to every sector, the second time we write 0's to every sector and the third time we write random data to every sector. We also verify that the data was overwritten during the final step.
How long does this process take? / Can I wait/watch for my drive to be wiped?
Wiping a drive is a lengthy process that takes several hours. Although you cannot wait or watch while your drive is being wiped, you may request to watch your drive being put into the wiper and/or being locked up. If you would like to do this, please arrive with your drive in hand and we will connect you with a staff person who will escort you and your drive to our wiper and/or lock-up area.
[If someone still seems uncomfortable leaving their drive with us, do NOT encourage them to leave it. Instead offer the following advice.]
Ultimately, data security is your responsibility. You are welcome to remove the drive yourself, destroy it, and bring it back to us to be responsibly recycled. You may also borrow a disk from us to overwrite your drive at home before donating it to us. We just as you bring the disk back when you return to donate. A third option is to find an outside party to wipe your drive for you.
We cannot make suggestions about outside parties, but we can offer some questions that a reputable provider should be happy to answer:
- Do you have a drive shredder?
- If not, what is your specific procedure for making my data unreadable?
- Will my drive be locked up until it is wiped?
- May I see my drive being locked up?
The most important aspect of data security is making sure the customer is COMFORTABLE leaving their drive with us.
[If they are exhibiting discomfort after the above script, the best recommendation is to send them home with the data destruction disk or to recommend they seek outside help and bring the remainder of their items to us for responsible reuse or recycling, and to get their itemized tax receipt.]
Previous version until 5/19.09 below. New version updated by MK, Dave, Vagrant & Laurel 1.0.
At Free Geek we put the utmost care in ensuring complete data destruction of All user data that is donated to us.
Hard drives that meet our specifications for reuse are removed from their systems and wiped in our hard drive sanitation banks. The process we use to ensure total data destruction complies to DOD ( Department of Defense ) 5220-22.M standards for data destruction. Every sector of the Hard Drive is overwritten 3 times using a destructive write which ensures that ALL data on the drive is completely destroyed and totally unrecoverable.
Hard drives that are below our specifications for reuse are physically destroyed on site.
Magnetic media such as floppy disks and backup tapes are disassembled in our recycling area and the plastic components are shredded by our plastics recycling vendor.
Optical media such as cd-rw discs are physically destroyed as soon as we receive them